1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-theft display case for manufactured products. In particular, the invention relates to display cases which can be opened and closed again to contain products for display, such as for instance CD disks, and provided with means of keeping the case closed until completion of the sale, to prevent unauthorized removal of the product.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Sale points characterized by the presence of numerous goods, even of different kinds, on display to the public have been known for a long time. Correct exposure of the goods on sale guarantees two immediate results: the first is to attract the attention of the customer, who, on seeing the products displayed, is induced to buy without real necessity; the other is a reduction of the personnel employed in the sale of single products with obvious economic advantages. The two things together lead to a considerable increase in sales, with obvious advantages for the trader.
The above is all the more true, the more products are displayed: the greater the display, the greater the sales. For this reason numerous shopping malls, food supermarkets and shops have been opened that operate on this system. The sales mechanism, typical for instance of retail distribution, based on display to the public and the ability to withdraw the displayed goods directly without having to ask the employed personnel, involves, however, the disadvantage of the relative ease with which the goods displayed can be removed and taken from the exhibitor, unknown to the employed personnel.
For this reason, anti-theft systems have been designed that comprise cases in rigid plastic inside which the objects to be displayed are placed. A typical example of an object to be displayed is a CD disk pack; the disk itself is contained in its own special box, enclosed in turn in a plastic film. The pack is in turn placed in a display case to prevent its unauthorized removal.
To such end, the display case comprises at least two parts that can be separated from each other to allow the product to be introduced inside the case. The display case is furthermore provided with means of locking the parts of the same together when they have later been rejoined so as to contain the product inside the case. The means of locking some parts of the display case together can be opened only with a special tool so that to prevent the extraction of the product from the case.
During the sale, the sales assistant unlocks the means of locking, opens the case by separating the two parts of the same one from the other and removes the sold product.
The display case now emptied of the sold product can be used again for the same purpose with another product that may be equal to or different from the product initially present in the case. In such a way, the case can be used many times.
The aforementioned display cases have the problem of being expensive. The moulds to produce them are expensive and are devoted to a single type of product: for instance a CD display case. The material used is expensive in as much as it has to have characteristics to be able to prevent the unauthorized opening of the display case and furthermore the presence of the means of locking further increases the costs.
There is, therefore, a need to produce an anti-theft display case that is economical, usable many times for more than one product—even for products different from each other, secure and easy to produce.